Mail-bag-holding device for mail-cranes.



No. 792,714. 'I PATENTED JUNE zo, 1995.

J. M. LUDWIG 9 A. 'LEFPARGR MAIL BAG HOLDING DEVICE FOR MAIL GRANES.

APPLIOATI'ON FILED 11130.30, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT @Finca lVlAlL-BAG-HOLDING DEVICE FOR MAIL-CRANES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,714, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed December 30, 1904. Serial No. 239,020.

T0 all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that we, JOHN M. LUDWIG and AMos LEFFARGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Oaklandon, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag- Holding Devices for Mail-Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cranes for holding mail-bags in convenient position to be caught by the arm extended from a rapidly-moving mail-car in accordance with the present daily practice, and has special reference to the holding or clamping device that has immediate connection with the handle-straps of the mail-bag; and the object of the invention is to provide a holding means that will hold the bag with security against wind and the suction caused by the motion of the train and all other disturbing influences except the strong and positive action of the catcher-arm of the mail-car. Under present methods the mail-bag straps are caught around fixed longitudinal hooks extended from the ends of the cranearms,and much' damage is done, particularly to the mail-bag, due to the unyielding nature of those fastenings, and their imperfect hold on the bag frequently permits the latter to be drawn therefrom and the bag and contents injured by the bag being drawn under the wheels of the train.

7e accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a mail-crane, showing the arms in operative position holding a mail-bag, said arms being provided with our improved gripping devices. and partial horizontal section of the grippinglingers. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the gripping-fingers and head in which they are mounted, showing the arm to which the head is applied in dotted lines and showing the grippingiingers in their opposite position also in dotted lines; and Fig. 4 is a detail in side view of the springbarrel removed from' the other parts of the device.

Like characters of reference indicate like Fig. 2 is a detail in top viewA parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

5 is the vertical post of a mail-bag-holding crane, 6 an arm which is pivotally secured at the top of the post, and 7 an arm which is pivotally secured below the top arm, all of said parts being of the usual and well-known construction and located in the usual way by the side of a railroad-track on which mailtrains are runand to which mail-bags are to be delivered without stopping or arresting the speed of the train.

8 is thebody of our gripping device, which is bolted or secured in any substantial manner to the respective ones of said arms 6 and 7 and may be applied to either the top or bottom faces of said arms. In the drawings, Fig. 1, this body is shown as applied to the under face of arm 6 and to the upper face of arm V7; but this application in one or both cases may be reversed, if desired. At the outer end of the body 8 is a head 9, comprising two parallel horizontal plates which are separated from each other, as shown in Fig.

,1, a suitable distance to allow the end of the gripping-finger 10 to be inserted between said plates. The inner or inserted end of linger 10 is secured between said plates by means of the pivot 11, whereby said finger may be moved in a horizontal plane over an are of one l hundred and eighty degrees from a position on one side of the head parallel with the railroad-track to a diametrically opposite position also parallel with said track. The parallel plates of head 9 make a close lit with the inserted end of linger 10 and keep said linger in constant horizontal position. The linger 10 is perforated horizontally adjacent to the head and also vertically through said horizontal perforation, and the iiat end of a second linger 12 is inserted into the horizontal perforation of finger 10 and is pivotally secured there by means of a pin 13. These two iingers 10 and 12 are spread apart adjacent to their pivotal points, but are curved inwardly as they approach their outer ends, so as to provide points of contact when the fingers are drawn together and a sufficient opening between said contact-points and the pivotal points of the fingers to receive therein the holding-straps 14 of mail-bag l5. The eX- treme ends of the two fingers are spread or oppositely curved to facilitate the insertion between them of said holding-straps. The fingers will be preferably round in cross-section, or at least rounded at the corners, so as to make the wearing friction against the straps 14 as little injurious to said straps as possible.

Passing through fingers 1() and 12 is a bolt 16, having one end threaded and having a head at its opposite end to provide a bearing for the bolt against its adjacent finger.

17 is a cylindrical shell or barrel open at one end and closed at its opposite end, except for a central opening through said closure just large enough for the passage of bolt 16. Placed within the barrel 17 is the coil-,spring 18, and this spring and barrel for operative purposes are placed in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the bolt 16 passing through the spring and through the perforated end of the barrel. The sides of the barrel at diametrical opposite portions are slotted,as clearly shown in Fig. 4, to receive the finger 10 in said slot, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the barrel and its spring have been assembled on bolt 16 a nut 19 is screwed upon the threaded end of the bolt against the barrel and the spring compressed until its tension draws the two fingers lO and 12 together with the requisite force. Thebolt 16 hasa series of small transverse holes, and when the nut 19 is screwed up to the desired position on said bolt it is there securely retained by means of a pin 2, which'is driven into the nearest hole 20.

In the drawings, Fig. 1, the body 8 is shown as being formed out of two plates which are the continuation of the two plates which go to make up the head 9; butI in practice, if it is so desired, the body may be made solid, as would probably be the ease where the same was of cast metal.

In its practical use the arms 6 and 7 of the crane will be drawn together and the holdingstraps 14 of the mail-bag inserted between each pairv of the holding-fingers, as above described. rIhe operator will see to it that the fingers are turned parallel with the railwaytrack and pointing in the direction toward which the mail-train is moving. When the catcher-arm from the mail-car contacts with the mail-bag, the holding-straps of the latter will be drawn out from between the elastically-yielding lingers. It is understood, of course, that the mail-bag is of the usual construction, using either leather straps or metal holding-rings, as the case may be.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and wish to'secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is*

1. A bag-holding device for mail-cranes comprising a pair of horizontally-adjustable fingers, said fingers being pivoted together and adjustable to or from each other in a hori- Zontal plane, and elastic means for holding them normally in contact.

2. The combination with the arms of a mailat one end and having its other end screwthreaded, a nut on said bolt, and a spring between said nut and the adjacent finger.

3. A bag-holding device for mail-cranes comprising a head with two horizontal parallel separated plates, a finger pivotally mounted between said plates, a second finger pivoted to the first finger, said fingers being bent as shown, a bolt passing through both fingers having a threaded end, and a head at its opposite end, a nut screwing on the threaded end of the bolt, and a spring between the nut and its adjacent finger.

4. In a holding device for holding mail-bags on mail-cranes, a head comprising two horizontal separated plates, a finger pivoted between said plates, a second finger pivoted to the first finger, both of said fingers being bent as shown and rounded in cross-section at their outer ends, a bolt passing through both fingers having a threaded end, and a head at its opposite end, a nut on the threaded end of the bolt, a cylindrical barrel between the nut and its adjacent finger and surrounding the bolt, said barrel having side slots to receive the finger, and a spring in said barrel surrounding the bolt and between the outer end of the barrel and the adjacent finger.

5. In a mail-bag holder for mail-cranes` a head in two horizontal separated plates, a finger pivoted between said plates, a second finger pivoted to the first finger, both fingers being bent as shown, a bolt passing through both fingers, said bolt having a threaded end and a head at its opposite end, a nut on the threaded end of the bolt, a barrel between the nut and the adjacent finger, surrounding the bolt, a spiral spring' surrounding the bolt and located in the barrel, between the outer end of the barrel and the adjacent linger, said bolt having a series of transverse perforations, and locking-pins driven into said perforations.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 19th day of December, A. D. 1904.

JOHN M. LUDVIG. [L s] AMOS LEFFARGE. [L s] Witnesses:

J. A. Mr N'rURN, F. W. WOERNER.

IOO

lIO 

